Abraham novick



A. NOVICK.

FOLDING MECHANISM. APPLICATIONFILED ocr. 11. 1917.

ms woRms FEYERS co" Pwnumm, wasumfi run. A c.

Patented May13, 1919.

:-; 'rnn srA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM NOVICK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES ENVELOPE.COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FOLDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Gontinuation of application Serial No. 875,124, filed DecemberZ, 1914.This application filed October 17,

1917. Serial No. 197,024.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ABRAHAM Novrox, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of New York, county of Kings, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in FoldingMechanism, of which the follow ng, together with the accompanylngdrawings, is a specification.

The present invention relates to folding mechanism for paper orcardboardgand has particular reference to such mechanism as 1s adaptedto the folding offlaps on envelop blanks. As herein shown, the inventionis embodied in a mechanism for folding over the back orbottom flap of anenvelop blank upon the previously folded side or end flaps thereof, andin this respect said mechanism constitutes an improvement andmodification of the back or bottom flap folding mechanism which is shownand described 1n my copending application Serial No. 182,195, filed July23, 1917. The present application constitutes a continuation of myallowed application Serial No. 875,124, filed December 2, 1914. a 0

The invention resides in the provision of novel instrumentalities foraction on successively advanced blanks or sheets, each of which upon itsarrival at a predeterm ned point in its travel has its advancing flapturned back on a line of fold at right angles to the direction ofadvance of said blank or sheet, the folding mechanism thereaftercooperating with suitable forwarding instruinentalities for continuingthe advance of the folded blank or sheet substantially in its originaldirection. The above and other objects are attained by an arrangementand combination of devices as hereinafter described, reference being hadin this connec-.

tion to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side view ofso much of an envelop machine as is necessary to illustrate theinvention, the frame of the machine on one side being removed todisclose the mechanism more clearly.

Fig. 2 is mechanism which is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view-of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. a is a diagrammatic view illustrating the cooperation of thefolding instrumentalia fragmentary end view of the ties in the act ofcontinuing the advance of a folded blank or sheet.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

As herein shown, the folding mechanism of my invention is incorporatedin an envelop machine of the type wherein successive blanks arecontinuously forwarded between pans of cooperating rolls or the like,not shown, and during said movement are suc' cessively subjected to thevarious operations of cutting, gumming, folding and the like, to formcompleted envelops. In such a machine, the operating mechanism isordinarily supported by-a pair of spaced longitudinal side frames 1, 1,and in Fig. 1 the nearer of said frames has been removed, to disclosethe mechanism more clearly. As herein shown, the envelop blanks in sucha machine are advanced between the side frames 1, 1 in a planecorresponding to the line 2, Fig. 1, by mechanism which forms no part ofthe present invention, and which, therefore, is not here shown nordescribed, each blank finally arriving on a stationary plate 3 which isheld between the side frames 1, 1 by any suitable supporting means, suchas a cross bar 4:. Each blank is brought to rest on said plate 3 in apredetermined position of registration, 'as fixed by the overhang of itsadvancing portion or flap 5 beyond the edge 6 of a superposed formingplate 7, the latter being carried by any suitable supporting means, sucha cross bar 8. Any suitable blank arresting and registering means may beemployed for bringing a blank to rest in the position shown in Fig.1,.withits flap 5, as here shown the back or bottom flap of thecompleted envelop, projecting beyond edge .6 of the forming plate 7;such means, for instance, may be embodied in a pair of registering pins,not shown, adapted to engage the reentrant angles in theside edges ofthe blank of said flap5. Below the supporting plate 3 and the formingplate 7 is journaled a shaft 9, which carries a mu 10, with whoseperiphery the forming plate 7, in the position shown in Fig. 1, issubstantially tangential, at the edge 6 thereof. The shaft 9 iscontinuously rotated at a constant speed through a suitable o-perativeconnection, not shown, to the preceding rotating parts of the envelopwhich define the line of fold 1 to the axis of roll 10.

machine,and saidshaft 9 carries a gear 11 which is in mesh with a gear12 on shaft 13. A pair ofdisks 14, 141, only one of which is shown inFigs. 1 and 2, are loosely j ourna'led on the ends of shaft 9 beyond theends of the roll and said disks have radial extensions 15 which projectbeyond the periphery of roll 10, as shown in Fig. 1. Pivoted to eachextension 15, by means of a pin 16, is an arm 17, and the free ends ofsaid arms 17 provide journals for a roll 18 whose axis is parallel Aspring 19 attached at 20 and 21 to the arm 17 and extension 15respectively, operates to yieldingly draw the roll 18 inwardly towardthe axis of roll 10, and this inward movement is limited by a stop pin22, which projects from the extension 15 and engages the edge of arm 17.The stop pin 22 prevents the roll 18 from making contact with a cutawayportion 23 of the periphery of roll 10, which is provided fora purposehereinafter described; in

other words, in the rotation of roll 10, the roll 18 is only permittedto make con-tact with the unrecessed peripheral surface thereof whichlies substantially opposite to the cutaway portion 23.

The disks ii are adapted to be oscillated from a rock shaft 24, whichcarries a segmental gear 25 in mesh with a segmental toothed portion 26on one of thedisks 14. If desired, both disks 14- may be similarlyengaged and actuated. The rock shaft 24 has a crank 27 which ispivotally connected by means of a link 28- with a crank 29 on shaft 13,whereby the continuous rotation of said shaft 13 imparts a rocking oroscillating movement to the gear segment 25, and thus to the two disks14 and the roll 18 carried thereby.

The operation of the above described mechanism is as follows :-In theposition of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the roll 18 is at an intermediatepoint in its upward oscillation, traveling toward the under side ofprojecting back flap 5 of the blank which is at :rest on plate 3 beneaththe form-ing plate 7. The position of continuously rotating roll 10 issuch that its cutaway portion 23 i'straveling beneath the roll 18, andthe two rolls 18 and 10 are therefore out of contact The further upwardoscillation of roll 18 carries it into the position shownin Figs. 2"and3, or into the position shown by dotted lines 18 in Fig. 1, and inreaching this position said roll 18 engages the projectingfflap- 5 andpresses it upwardly and backwardly upon the forming plate 7, foldingsaid flap over the edge 6 of said plate. The side flaps of the blankhaving already been gummed and folded inwardly, by mechanism which formsno part of the present invention andhence is neither shown nordescribed, the back flap' '5 is thus superposed upon the side flaps tooverlie the edges thereof, as shown in Fig. 3 and lines 5 in Fig. l.Substantially coincident with the arrival of roll 18 in the position 18,which is the limit of its upward oscillation, the cutaway portion 23 ofroll 10 is carried past said edge 6, whereby the periphery of roll 10 isbrought into operative engagement with the under side of the fold thusformed in the blank. Said fold is thus pinched and gripped between therolls 10 and 18, and the clockwise rotation of roll 10, together withthe downwardly swinging bodily movement of roll 18 in the samedirection, serves to remove the folded blank from the forming plate 7and the supporting plate 3. The peripheral surface speed of roll 10being more rapid than the bodily movement of roll 18 in the samedirection, the folded blank is gradually moved forward between thecooperating surfaces of said rolls, due to the pressure of spring 19,which draws the roll 18 inwardly. In this manner, simultaneously withits bodily clockwise movement with the rolls 10 and 18, the blank hasalso a forward movement of translation relative to said rolls, and inconsequence thereof the folded flap 5 is pressed, throughout its entireextent, into a firm engagement with the gummed side flaps beneath thesame, the entire surface of the blank being thus passed or rolledbetween the rolls 10 and 18, as shown in Fig. 4, before the blank isejected. This ejection takes place with the arrival of advancing edge 30of cutaway portion 23 opposite the roll 18, to release the rear edge ofthe blank from the bight of rolls 10 and 18. The forward edge of theblank, with its folded flap '5 pressed into place, is simultaneouslyseized between suitable feed rolls 31 and 32, the former of which may becut away, as shown at 33, to prevent the seizure of the blank before itsrelease from the rolls 10 and 18. The rolls 31 and 32, which havesuitable intermeshing gears and are driven by a gear 34 in mesh withgear 12, are adapted to advance the folded blank "to any suitablemechanism for performing further operations thereon in the completion ofenvelops.

I claim, 7

1. In a folding mechanism, a roll revoluble in one direction, a supportfor holding a sheet to be folded in a plane substantially tangential tosaid revoluble roll, a forming plate above said support, an oscillatingroll, means for moving said oscillating roll to ward and away from :saidforming plate, said revoluble roll having a portion of its peripherycooperating with said oscillating roll to withdraw the folded sheet fromsaid forming plate.

2. In a folding mechanism, a blank support, a forming plate, anoscillating roll for folding a sheet over the edge of said formingplate, and a segmental revoluble roll by the broken having a portion ofits periphery arranged to contact with said oscillating roll to compressthe folded sheet, and means for rotating said revoluble roll.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with ablank support, of a forming plate, a segmental revoluble roll, means forcontinuously revolving said roll, a revoluble folding roll for coactionwith said forming plate for folding the bottom flap of a blank and forcoaction with said segmental roll for removing said blank from saidforming plate and for passing said blank between said rolls, means foroscillating said folding roll, and means for advancing said blank.

l. In mechanism of the class described, a plate, means for supporting ablank or sheet with a portion thereof projecting beyond one edge of saidplate, an oscillating member having a path of movement toward and awayfrom said edge and adapted to fold said projecting portion over saidedge in its movement toward said edge, and rotating means concentricwithsaid oscillating member and cooperating therewith in the reversemovement of the latter, for removing the folded blank or sheet from saidsupporting means.

5. In a folding mechanism, a support for the sheet to be folded, astationary forming plate above said support, an oscillating roll adaptedto cooperate with said forming Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing plate, means for moving said roll in acircular path from a position below the plane of said forming plate to aposition above the edge of the forming plate, whereby a sheet held onsaid support and projecting beyond the forming plate will be folded overits edge, and rotating means, concentric with the path of saidoscillating roll, for cooperating therewith in removing said foldedsheet from said support.

6. In a folding mechanism, the combina tion with a forming plate, of anoscillatory roll for turning over and folding a projecting flap of ablank over said forming plate while said blank is at rest, and means,revolving concentrically to the path of movement of said folding rollfor coaction with said folding roll, for removing said blank from saidforming plate, for applying pressure to the folded blank and foradvancing said blank.

7 In a folding mechanism, the combination with a forming plate, ofoscillatory means for folding a blank about said forming plate whilesaid blank is at rest, and revoluble means concentric with and forcoaction with said oscillatory means for removing said blank from saidforming plate.

Dated this 13th day of Sept, 1917.

ABRAHAM NOVICK.

I'Vitnesses HARRY DURRsnn, J orrn DAVIS.

the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

